A Metro-North Railroad train speeds by as the sloop Woodie Guthrie sails north on the Hudson River. The Town of Fishkill is in the background. / Darryl Bautista/Journal file

Written by

John R. Nelson

Poughkeepsie Journal

A special thanks to Frankie Castella Jr., 34, co-owner of Harmon & Castella Printing in Poughkeepsie, for his willingness to jump into the Marist College swimming pool with his business suit on to help produce the cover photo illustration by director of multimedia Spencer Ainsley. Castella, whose grandfather, Salvatore Castella, started the business in 1937, grew up in Hyde Park and now lives in LaGrange. The Journal would also like thank Marist College for the use of its swimming pool at the McCann Center.

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Ask most people in the mid-Hudson Valley and they’ll tell you they think the economy is slowly starting to right itself.

For this special report, we went out and looked for tangible evidence of this.

In this special report, we offer you this year’s Business Person of the Year — Mike Arnoff — who runs a family moving company that has continued to evolve its business plan throughout the down times.

You’ll find our Faces of the Economy vignettes, which take regular citizens of all walks of life and talk to them about their places in the mid-Hudson Valley economy. One has a new job, another is unemployed. One is just entering the workforce for the first time, another finally hung up his hat and entered the world of retirement. Read their stories and you’ll find something that rings true in your own life.

Other notable entries in this year’s print edition:

• The largest companies in the region, including IBM Corp. and Health Quest, are using solid strategies to maintain and even grow their workforces.

• Local hospitals have new partnerships and collaborations that are helping them face an uncertain future.

• Construction companies saw a slight uptick in the region in 2012 and are expecting an even bigger turnaround this year.

• Tourism agencies are confident that the draw of the Hudson Valley will continue to be a boon to the economy.

• Farmers are also finding ways to work together and with the community to make the season extend year-round.